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Thursday, August 18, 2016

'Love, self-restraint, contemplation and prayer accord with God's will, while gluttony, licentiousness and things that increase them pander to the flesh. That is why "they that are in the flesh cannot conform to God's will" (Rom. 8:8). But "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh together with the passions and desires." (Gal. 5:24)'

St. Maximos the Confessor

Most Catholics seem to have a ‘thing’. Some have a ‘thing’ for a specific
devotion. Others have a ‘thing’ for
Saints, or a specific Saint. And others,
still, have a ‘thing’ for the Holy Ghost.
As for me, I have a ‘thing’ for the phrase ‘Thy will be done.’

This ‘thing’ of mine began well before Fulton’s accident,
but it was solidified in my soul as I suffered alongside my son. Understanding that everything that happens in
our lives – good and bad – is either God’s will or is allowed by God serves as
a huge comfort to me. Once understood, it
is, in fact, a great source of joy.

But that is not the reason for this article.

I have been pondering the many ways in which Our Lord has
made His will known to me and am forever grateful for every Cross He has placed
upon my shoulders. And I am well aware
that despite all the trials I have carried in life, I still fall far short of
what He created me to be. So far from
holiness. So far from sanctity.

And this makes me sad.

But it has also made me determined. Determined to remove what remains of myself
and replace it with My Lord wherever He wants to be in me.

And today, as I stepped on the scale and have found that I
have yet to lose a single pound since the birth of my daughter a year ago, I
realize where He wants to be in my life.

He wants to be in my stomach.

Before you laugh (or as soon as you are finished) please
hear me out.

It is a well-known fact that conquering your base desires,
such as the body’s temptations to overeat, is a simple way towards dying to
self. Simple in thought – but difficult
in practice, as the number 174 proves on my bathroom scale. We need food to live, to function, to fulfill
God’s will in our daily duties. And so
we eat. Yet the sin of gluttony is only
one extra serving of mac and cheese away.
It is a fine line between eating to live and eating for
self-pleasure. 15 bites of food is good
and can be holy. But the 16th
bite could very well be an unholy thing.

I am no theologian. I
am not a doctor. But I see how my poor
eating habits effect me both spiritually and physically. And because of all He has given to me, I
believe I am obligated to give to Him more of myself back to Him in return. I am ready to hand over to Him my will over
food.

While there are a few different ways in which we can fall
into the sin of gluttony, I will only mention the 2 ways that seem to pertain
to most of us who fall to this temptation.

1) Gluttony can occur when we try to derive from food a
level of pleasure that was not intended.
How many memes do we read about wine, chocolate, bacon, or any other
food where the food itself is raised to a status of a god?

We crave union with these edible gods.

We celebrate them.

We even covet or hoard them at times.

I also include eating non-food items under this category
because – let’s face it – do we eat Cheeze-puffs for its nutritional value? Or strictly for taste?

2) Gluttony can also
occur when we become overly concerned about the quality of that which we eat. (Please note: I am not referring to people who
have legitimate health issues with food, of course. Nor am I referring to food that was prepared
in an unsafe way.) Refusing to eat
something that was not cooked the way we like, or being a food snob, is not
only a form of gluttony but also crosses the line in other ways as well. It is a special form of pride and leads to
uncharitable behavior towards those preparing or serving us food.

With this in mind, I decided that the best way for me to
tame the glutton-beast within was to put all my food through my ‘thing’. Thy will be done.

What does this look like?
It is really very simple.

Anything I am about to eat must first pass the question, “Does
God want me to eat this?”

Sometimes it is not so clear, so I have set certain rules
for myself to help me discern.

I have set meal and
snacktimes. If it is not breakfast,
lunch, dinner or 3pm snacktime, I should not be putting anything in my mouth.

Is the food
considered healthful? No matter what
the occasion, I do not think Our Lord wills us to eat food considered harmful
to the body He created. Therefore, Cheeze-puffs
are no longer on the menu. *sigh*

Am I truly hungry or just
bored? If it is snacktime and I am NOT hungry, I do not need to eat. And most times, I wander into the pantry
because my mouth is bored. Or
grumpy. If I am grumpy, I need to
consider whether I am running low on energy.
If so, a few almonds or a slice of cheddar cheese may fix the
problem. But not a bowl of ice cream.

And if my eating has passed the above tests, the following
rules are then also applied:

Prepare a place to
eat. Get a plate or bowl. Get a napkin.
Sit at the table and appreciate the food I am being permitted to eat.

Say grace before
eating. No matter what it is or where I
am. Yes. I say grace over the 8 almonds and prune I ate at snacktime.

St. Jean-Baptist de la Salle tells us "The most efficacious means of keeping in mind the rules of temperance, and obtaining strength to follow them, is to say, piously, the prayer before and after meals. By this we shall draw down upon ourselves the blessing of God, and obtain the grace not to offend Him." Which leads me to....

Say the aftermeal
prayer after everything I eat. This one
seems to really drive home what I had just done (eat) and what I am now fortified
to do (do God’s will). Suddenly a
handful of Cheeze-puffs does not seem to be worthy of such a role in my life
and in my body.

We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, Who livest and reignest forever. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Is the amount I just
ate sufficient to sustain my body?
If so, do not take seconds. And
only take what you need to begin with.

Have I offered the best
to others instead of taking it for myself?
Make sure you do not receive the perfectly cooked burger, the crispiest
piece of fried chicken, etc. Let the
best pass you by. Always.

Please note that I am not asking you to fast for 40 days. Our mortifications must be within our ability and means. Even Our Lord says to St. Bridget of Sweden:

'Your new food is prudent abstinence from gluttony and from delicacies, as far as your natural constitution can endure it. Acts of abstinence that go beyond the capacity of nature are not to my liking, for I demand rationality and the taming of lusts.'

Consider this exercise as a mini examination of conscience. After doing this for about a week, it will
pretty much happen at the same time you are eating and will hopefully become a
habit. But until then, lets use the above questions to help us overcome this common vice!

Remember – this is not a diet. This is simply a method of learning to die to
self for love of God and to conform our wills to His.

One vice at a time.

And when I am comfortable with my attack on
gluttony, my next battle will be over SLOTH!

Won’t you join me on this journey? Let me know how you are doing! And check in from time to time and watch for my announcement when my new blog will be created!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Hello friends! My blog is not really a cooking blog. It is really has no theme at all, actually! But since I enjoy writing about things I love, I thought I should post about my favorite food: Frosting!

Now before I begin, I am going to talk a little about my ingredients and why I use what I do, and one ingredient you will never find in my recipes.

FIRST Butter. Never the fake stuff. I use Kerrygold because it is the healthiest you can get while also being the most readily available, yet cheaper than organic. More on butter here. And also, because, you know - Ireland.

SECOND Homemade vanilla extract. Yes, the store bought stuff is stronger so you don't have to use as much, but the store vanilla also has a strong alcohol taste and smell that can alter the final product if it is not cooked. I use the store stuff too, from time to time, but prefer my own.

THIRD I am going to insist on C&H powdered sugar. Powdered sugar has an aftertaste I do not care for, but when used properly, this brand's aftertaste is almost undetectable.

FOURTH Heavy whipping cream instead of milk. The heavy whipping cream has a creamy taste which helps tone down any other aftertastes you may get from my frostings. My husband finds it rather amusing that I whip the frosting so much the butter loses its buttery texture yet beat it so much that the whipping cream turns to butter. Yeah - I see his point but when you feel the texture (if done right) you will understand. It is a well coordinated dance.

FIFTH Pink Himalayan salt instead of regular salt. Pink Himalayan salt does not dissolve the same way as regular salt, and with so much sugar and the fact that you will be eating these frostings straight out of the bowl, it is kind of nice to get a subtle 'zap' of salt every once and awhile. Besides, apparently this salt is super healthy for you. I am told is so healthy, in fact, that it practically negates anything unhealthy that may find its way into my recipes. Really.

SIXTH Corn syrup. Just no. Never. Ever. And while some swear by the 'wonderful' things it does to frosting, there will never be enough pink Himalayan salt you have to add to your frosting to counteract the harmful effects of that nasty goop.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 C softened butter

2 C powdered sugar

1 vanilla bean

1tsp vanilla plus more if needed

4 T heavy whipping cream

3/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

﻿

The jar on the left is my homemade vanilla extract. Remember - mine has a little weaker vanilla taste so I have to use more. My recipes assume you do not have homemade extract.

Cut the vanilla bean into quarters, then slice the quarters lengthwise.

Beat on medium for at least 10 minutes. I am not kidding. AT LEAST! Minimum. No less. You will be amazed at the final product - trust me.

The final look you are shooting for is a pearlized sheen which is hard to photograph but as you get used to my frostings and have achieved it, you will know what to look for. Add more vanilla extract if it is not strong enough. And beat again.

Please be patient with my frostings. They usually require a lot of beating but the final texture should be no texture at all. This frosting, when put on the tongue, will feel cool and taste sweet. It will melt quickly but feel so silky smooth it is almost like eating nothing at all. A sweet, vanilla-y, high caloric spoonful of nothing! (As always, first day freshness is the yummiest - store in the refrigerator, rewhip and add a touch of fresh vanilla extract if you have to use it a day after you make it)

Now I have heard people say they like frosting on cupcakes as pictured above, and while I am always ready to try something new, I prefer to eat my frosting with a spoon!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Our world, in many ways, has begun to crumble. Even the most level headed of my friends are
beginning to question the sort of future our children may have. ISIS is on everyone’s mind these days, as are
their numerous atrocities. Confusion
among matters of the faith among Catholics. Escalating number of natural disasters. Trouble in our own government. And
sometimes people closest to us seem to be turning on each other like vicious
dogs, ready to devour anyone who dares express different opinions.

Unfortunately, with all of this happening in the outside
world, it is hard to keep the stress of it all from seeping into our own hearts
and homes. “I wake up in the morning, and all I can think about is ‘What will
happen today?” one friend confided in me. “It is enough to make one want to
hide one’s head in the sand.”

Which is exactly what we as Catholic mothers must do.

For quite some time, the ostrich has gotten a rather bad
reputation for sticking its head in the sand as trouble looms. And on the surface, that seems like a bad
thing to do. It reeks of denial and
purposeful ignorance and to be accused of such behavior has always been viewed
as a sign of stupidity or weakness. But
do you know why the ostrich does what she does?
Let’s take a closer look.

An ostrich nest is actually built just beneath the
ground’s surface. Her eggs are safely
nestled below ground level, and require frequent turning with her beak to keep the eggs viable. Her nest, full of her most priceless treasures, is almost impossible for predators to see
from afar. But should a predator start
sniffing around, the mother ostrich lowers her head and quickly buries her
precious eggs beneath the sand before running away,
distracting the predator and leading it away from her home.

I can’t help but think God has been trying to teach us a
lesson through these magnificent birds.
But we have been too proud or too blind to hear Him. You see, while most seem to think that being
up to date and fully informed of the terrifying events taking place in our
world is a good thing, it is not necessarily our role to do so. In fact it may be harmful. Horrific images come to our minds throughout
the day. Fear, worry and undo stresses
fill our hearts, distracting us from what really matters: home.

We cannot properly tend to our God given duties when we are
trying to solve the world’s problems by debating others online. Or shushing a 4-year-old’s joy over a newly
painted picture because we are engrossed in a news article. As we fill our time with researching these disturbing world events, anxiety crowds out faith, hope and charity at an
alarming rate. We grow tense, short
tempered and depressed. We suddenly
realize how out of control we really are.
And how vulnerable. We get
scared. And our family suffers.

But I now ask you - could it be that for all the terrible things that seem to be unfolding, much grace is also given? Could it be that Our Lord is trying to tell us something through these natural and man made disasters? What is He asking of us today? To worry? To involve ourselves in heated debates about matters of which we have no control? To exercise our 'right to be right' at all costs? Or are we simply called to trust in Him and know that our ultimate sanctification is what He desires above all things? And pass our love and trust of God along to our children?

"In our ignorance of what the future holds, how can we be so bold as to question what comes about by God's permission? Surely it is reasonable to think that our complaints are groundless and that instead of complaining we ought to be thanking Providence."

St. Claude de la Colombiere

Yes, there are many scary things out there in the
world. But they are not for us to worry about. In fact, the scarier things get, the more
important it is that we keep our heads in the sand. Not to deny the harsh realities of life. But to tenderly care for our loved ones as Our Lord wishes. Surround them with love. Shield them from as much harm as possible. And when it feels as though the predators are
at your door, draw the negative influences far from your nest, that your
children may continue to look to your home as a safe harbor to continue to grow in their faith, unhindered by fear and distrust of God.

As mothers, we are truly the heart of the home. And as such, we have been blessed with this
loving, nurturing ability to keep our homes a happy and safe refuge from the
rest of the world. Bring your children
up in the love of God through your example.
Teach your children to trust in Him in all things by remaining unruffled
and unworried. And no matter how
terrifying the world may become, may your children rest easy knowing that you,
without fail and for their sakes, will always have your head deep in the sand.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

I do not have the energy to coordinate a full-scale All Saints Day party this year. So instead, I have decided that the kids will simply dress as Saints and attend a local Catholic church's Trunk-Or-Treat party. Sure, it is not nearly as exciting or fortifying as an All saints Day celebration, but the kids still get to dress up and Mom will still get a few bites of chocolate!

Meanwhile, here is a link to an article I wrote about All Saints Day, describing a time when I was a better Catholic mother....

Monday, October 5, 2015

For years now, I have been helping families and the occasional Catholic school and parish teach children a few of the treasures hidden in the Rosary: The virtues! St. Louis de Montfort has shown us in his book, The Secret of the Rosary, that each Mystery of the Rosary has within it a virtue or grace to be prayed for. Our Lady emulates each virtue and grace perfectly within the Mysteries, teaching us how to imitate her. She is a perfect example of who we should strive to become. Don't we want to show our children her example as well?

To celebrate October - the month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary - I am giving you the complete lesson plans and workbook pages for the first Joyful Mystery, which we pray for humility. I never claimed to be an artist but humility calls me to post my pictures of the Mysteries online anyway LOL Anyway, below is a sample of my Rosary Quilt program, along with some extra files to enhance your family rosary time. Couldn't we all benefit from a lesson or two in humility? (Be careful how you answer that one! LOL) Enjoy these pages!

ROSARY QUILT LESSON PLANS

1.The
Annunciation: For the Love of Humility Activities

Read Isaiah 10:15. Talk about what kinds of jobs can be
accomplished by using such tools. Lay out a few tools your child may use for
her own talents. For instance, a pianist needs a piano; a painter needs a
brush, a writer needs a pencil, a carpenter needs sandpaper and a saw. Explain
that your child is the piano, paintbrush, saw, etc. and God is the pianist,
artist, carpenter, etc. Your child is simply the tool for the things God wants
done. Just as it is silly for a paintbrush to take credit for a painting, it is
also foolish for us to take credit for the work God does through us.

Practice
responding to compliments. When
someone compliments you on one of your talents, respond with something that
directs all glory to God instead of to yourself: “Thank you! I have been very
blessed.” If pride/boasting is a temptation to your child, make sure he/she
receives a petal for responding appropriately to compliments.

**(WB pg 4) Help your
child make a list of her God given talents. Have her write God a thank you
note, thanking Him for these talents and noting how she might use them to bring
Him glory.

Have your child look in the mirror and pretend to be
“snooty”. It should not be long before he closes his eyes and sticks his nose
up in the air. When he does, say, “Freeze! This is what a prideful heart looks
like.” Explain that turning one’s nose “up” at someone else shows pride. It
tells other people that you think you are better than they are. Now ask him
what he is looking at when his eyes are closed. (“Nothing” or “My eyelids”) Ask
him where his nose is pointed. (“Up” or “Towards the sky”) Explain that when
one is not humble, one is sticking his nose up towards God. When children’s
eyes are closed, they are not looking for God’s will, nor are they able to see
God’s hand in whatever success they are being “snooty” about. They are, in
essence, snubbing God and denying God’s hand in their successes.

Have your child look humble. This usually looks like a shy
look: head cocked to the side (listening for God’s will); chin down (and not
vain or prideful), eyes looking upwards (towards God above). Tell him that a
humble heart looks like this. Which heart did Mary have? Which heart should we
have? Take pictures of your child “acting” out these two traits. Put them in
your scrapbook and label each feature and what they are saying to others.

Discuss the fall of Adam and Eve – Satan tempted them with the
idea that they too could be like God. What a thought! One of the effects of
Original Sin is a temptation to make ourselves into our own gods! The Catechism
tells us that the meaning of life is: To know, love and serve God
in this world so that we may be happy with Him in the next. Original Sin makes
us want to make others know, love and serve US in this world so
that we may be happy in this world. Make your children more aware of how we all
make ourselves into gods during the day. Discuss how this makes others feel.
What happens when our entire household is filled with people trying to make
themselves into gods?

Discuss with your children the trend our society has to build
and protect self-esteem at all costs: schools adjusting test scores or passing
students who may need to be held back, bombarding children with over
exaggerated compliments, etc. How is this harmful to souls? How can this be harmful
to society? How does this affect a person’s earthly life? What will happen to
these children when they grow up and live “in the real world”?

Discuss Proverbs 15:33.

Examples
of humility

The
fall of Lucifer: Aside from being pure spirits, angels also have a perfectly
informed intellect. Because of this, the angels knew God’s plan for humans and
for our salvation. They knew of God’s power, too. He gave the angels a chance
to serve Him and two thirds of the angels joyfully announced that indeed they
would serve Him! Unfortunately, Lucifer, who was the brightest and most beautiful
angel, dared to say that he would not serve God. A third of the angels also
made this decision. Why would they do such a thing? They knew of God’s power
and His love, yet they would not serve Him! Lucifer was full of pride. He was
bright, powerful, and beautiful, but he was created to serve God. He thought he
was better than a servant – he wanted to be a god. And not just any god, but he
wanted to take over God’s throne in Heaven and be God Himself!

Matthew
8:5 – 10: In this story, the Roman Officer, though pagan, acknowledges
Christ as an important person. He admits he is not worthy to receive Him in his
home, but has faith that all his servant needs to be healed is Jesus’ word.
Recall the words we speak before receiving Communion at Mass, as the priest
holds the Blessed Sacrament up: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only
say the word and I shall be healed.” Both this story and the words we speak
during the Mass represent the degree of humility we need to strive for.

Philippians
2:1-11: Paul challenges us to imitate Christ in His humility. The verses
also show us how great Christ is because of His humility.

The Cure’ of Ars: This Saint performed many
miracles in his life. When each miracle occurred, he humbly, and appropriately,
directed all eyes to God instead of to himself. He shied away from praise from
the villagers and always credited other Saints’ intercessions and God for the
miracles for which he himself prayed. His humility did not even allow himself
to believe that it was his own prayers that God was responding to – he always
believed that it was another Saint’s intercession on his behalf that the
miracles occurred.

Verses
for memorization

Proverbs
30:32

Proverbs
16:5

Proverbs
22:4

Luke 18:14

WORKBOOK PAGES (Pages correspond to activities above)

BEADS PAGES Family members suggest their intentions for each Hail Mary. Who suffers from pride? Who needs to accept God's will instead of forcing their own will? etc. Read the prayer at the top to announce the Mystery. Announce each intention before each Hail Mary. Recite the prayer at the bottom of the prayer to end the Mystery.

Here is the page with the Annunciation bead. Print and laminate it for your younger children to hold as you pray this Mystery. It can also be used along with the Rosary Quilt itself. (The activity blanket which is explained in the manual) The blank beads may be copied and used to help young children keep track of their prayers. (There are actually 10 blank beads in the file, not 2)

What is NOT pictured here is the Virtue Chart which goes with the set. All I could get was a portion of it, pictured below so you can't really use it, but I wanted to at least show you what it is. Its purpose is to help keep track of your child's progress, whenever you catch your child being good. The manual explains this concept in a little more detail, but you get the idea.

I hope you enjoy using these prayer aids! I would love to hear how you like these pages.

If you are interested in obtaining the 5 digital file set for $20, please contact me at

Sunday, February 1, 2015

3 year olds are at that "special" stage of discipline where they understand much but can control very little. Since we were having so much trouble with our daughter's newfound self-awareness and pride, I have decided to dust off the Yes Ma'am chart I created when Fulton was 3 to give him positive reinforcement for the times he cooperated with my requests. It has become clear that I need to start using these again, for both Marialina and Fulton!

It is a simple reward system to keep track of the times my children have been good and cheerful helpers around the house.

We start each day at the Cross and say a little prayer, such as: "Dear Mary, help me to be more like you every day and help me to say 'yes' when Mommy or Daddy ask me to do something, just like you said 'yes' to God. Amen"

Once the prayer is done, have your child color in the Cross. Whenever your child responds to a request with a 'Yes Ma'am', your child gets a sticker on the bead or gets to color it in. Every Our Father bead equals a reward (a Smartie candy is nice to use. It is small, but tasty, and it is always smart to obey, right?) If the rosary is completed, or a designated level within the rosary is complete for the day, give your child a bigger reward, like a game, extra story or a movie. What fun to watch the rosary of good intentions fill up! And how excited they are to show Daddy their progress when he gets home!

I created this using graphics I found online and combined them. Just save it as a JPEG file (important!) and you can print it out for your own children! If you don't want to print out new sheets each day, laminate a page and use erasable markers to color in the beads. Or you may use the same sheet over the course of a few days to reach a big goal at the end of the week. Whatever works for you!

A converted, Traditional Catholic, 40-something wife, and mother of 7 delves deeply into the mysteries of God's great mercy. She works out her salvation with fear and trembling among the liturgy, laundry, love and laughter as it all unfolds within the humble walls of her domestic church.

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